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Speaker: No probe into Rudy’s ‘tearoom assault’

UNC MP Rudy Indarsingh yesterday lost out on his bid to have Parliament’s Privileges team investigate PNM MP Anthony Garcia who Indarsingh claimed cursed him in the Parliament’s tearoom recently.

House Speaker Brigid Annisette-George said a prima facie case had not been made out to facilitate an investigation by the Privileges Committee.

In a letter on the matter to the Speaker yesterday, Couva South MP Indarsingh said the alleged incident occurred in the Parliament’s tearoom last Friday before the Parliament session began.

He claimed Garcia displayed “threatening intimidating behaviour” towards him and he was verbally assaulted by Garcia as he dealt with the issue of the closure of the Balmain Presbyterian School.

Indarsingh said Garcia’s threatening language and abusive behaviour fell beneath the standard of conduct for MPs and was “regretful and reprehensible.”

But Annisette-George, in her ruling said, “I have read the submission of the Couva South MP and the accompanying attachments. I have also noted the reports on this incident that have been published in the media.”

“I have given serious consideration to this matter. I have also carefully reviewed the relevant literature on cases like this. Further, I have taken particular note of the fact that the Member for Couva South admitted in his submission that, without hesitance, he responded to the Member for Arima in an appropriate fashion so as to protect himself.”

“In the circumstances, I find no prima case of breach of privilege in this matter,” she said. (GA)

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